Selective travel draft gear with separate cushioning elements for buff and draft



5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

S. CAMPBELL ELEMENTS FOR BUFF' AND DRAFT SELECTIVE TRAVEL DRAFT GEARWITH SEPARATE CUSHIONING Oct. 16,

Filed June 17, 1953 Ofi 13, 1956 D. s. CAMPBELL 2,766,894

SELECTIVE TRAVEL DRAFT GEAR WITH SEPARATE CUSHIONING ELEMENTS FOR BUFFAND DRAFT Filed June 17. 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Od 151 1956 D. s.CAMPBELL 2,766,894

sELEcTTvE: TRAVEL DRAFT GEAR WITH SEPARATE cusHToNTNG ELEMENTS FOR BUFFAND DRAFT Filed June 1'7, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 if??? 51,32 v 3 9\ ,3247l I 1 l li 3] l I I l I" 27 23T gw, i 1, fw j 6,7

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Y y /e0 VTV/1? 4./ 1MM |111 HHH-4f 615-/ A n I l/ $5 4 l H u 45 Y i $7 WIH 1H" wa United States Patent O snLEcTlvE TRAVEL DRAFT GEAR WITH SEP-ARATE CUSHIONING ELEmNTs FoR BUFF AND DRAFT David S. Campbell, GlenEllyn, Ill., assignor to Cardwell Westinghouse Company, a corporation ofDelaware Application June 17, 1953, Serial No. 362,256

s claims. (c1. 213-46) This invention relates to draft gears forrailroad cars, and has for its principal object to provide the travelallowed in relation to the forces in buff and draft and to provideappropriate cushioning for each.

Generally speaking, this is accomplished by providing a draft gear withseparate associated cushioning elements, one of which functions chiey inbui and the other functions chiefly in draft.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. l is a horizontal section through familiar parts of a freight car,showing the draft gear applied;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section through the draft gear andportions of the draft yoke, center sills and draft lugs;

Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the gear compressed in buff;

Fig. 5 is a similar View with the draft gear compressed in draft;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the draft gear in full release inthe draft gear pocket;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same compressed in draft;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an end view, looking from the right in Fig. 7; and

Fig. l() is a fragnentary section showing a shear pin for holding thegear partially compressed for handling and shipping.

But these drawings and the corresponding description are for the purposeof illustrative disclosure only, and are not intended to imposeunnecessary limitations on the claims.

In Figs. l and 2, the draft gear, indicated generally by 1li, is shownin the familiar surroundings of center sills 11, draft lugs 12, draftyoke 13, coupler butt or shank 14, draft key 15, coupler carrier iron16, draft gear carrier iron 17, coupler horn 18 and striking plate 19(all corresponding to Fig. 10.51 of the Car Builders Cyclopedia, 1946,p. 944). These parts are so familiar that no specijic description isthought necessary.

The draft gear housing, generally indicated by 2i?, has a rear chamber21 for a draft cushioning element, generally indicated by 22, a frontchamber 23 for a buff cushioning element, generally indicated by 24, andthe chambers are separated by a wall or partition 2S, the ends beingsubstantially open.

A buif follower 26 movable through the front of the buff chamber 23cooperates with the cushioning element 24 and the coupler butt 14.

A draft follower 27 is movable freely through the rear open end of thedraft chamber 21 and cooperates with the cushioning element 22 and theyoke 13. A limit wall 29 within the draft chamber 21 lies in the path ofthe draft follower 27 and limits the compression of the cushioningelement 22.

2,766,894 Patented Oct. 16, 1956 ICC The followers 26 and 27 areprovided with four, or more, openings 30 adapted to receive shear pins31 (Fig. 10) inserted through larger openings or slots 32 in theadjacent portions of the housing 20. '111e arrangement is such that thecushioning elements must be put under initial compression, enough toreduce the overall length of the draft gear to somewhat less than thelength 0f the draft gear pocket between the draft gear lugs 12. With theshear pins holding the gear in that condition, it is a commercial uniteasily handled, shipped and placed in the draft gear pocket. The firstnormal operating force in a train shears the pins, and after that thedraft gear assumes its normal release position until the contrary isimposed upon it by buff or draft.

The normal release condition is shown in Fig. 3, in which it will benoted that the right or rear end of the housing 21) is spaced from therear draft lugs 12, in this particular instance by 1/2 Upon receiving abuffing shock, indicated by the arrow B in Fig. 4, the coupler butt 14,acting through the buf follower 26, compresses the cushioning element 24against the partition 25 and moves the housing 20 toward the rear draftlugs 12, compressing the cushioning element 22 against the follower 27.Hence, in the initial buing action, both cushioning elements resist andfurnish energy absorption.

When the housing 20 strikes the rear draft gear lugs 12, furthercompression is conned to the cushioning element 24 and the partsapproach the positions shown in Fig. 4.

Upon receiving a draft force, indicated by the arrow C in Fig. 5, theyoke 13 takes the draft follower 27 toward the left, compressingcushioning element 22 against the partition 25, the housing 20 beingprevented from moving to the left by contact with the front draft lugs12, and the parts approach the position shown in Fig. 5. Upon release,the parts return to the position shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. l,the housing 251 is relieved at 47 to clear the yoke 13 in draft.

As best shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the draft follower 27 is offset at35, in this instance on the order of 1A. This permits the coupler horn1S to move a corresponding increased distance from the striking plate 19in full release as compared with the ordinary arrangement.-

In one embodiment of the invention that has been found satisfactory, thearrangement gives up to 31A" travel in buff `as compared with 25/8 to2%" in prior devices and gives up to .2 travel in draft-in all, a totaltravel of 5%, which is still less than 51/2" now allowed by theAssociation of American Railroads, and leaves 1A travel that makes agreat factor of safety with rubber under that state of compression.

The cushioning elements are made up of rubber springs 36 composed ofrubber blocks 37 vulcanized to and through plates 38 and separated byspacers 39. A variety of such rubber cushioning elements are known andno detailed description is deemed necessary. Speci fications on theorder of those given in Tucker Ser. No. 223,746, tiled April 30, 1951,may be used.

The parts of the cushioning element 22 are of less width than those inthe cushioning element 24 in this particular embodiment, and they arealso in less number.

However, the cushioning elements may be equal or unequal capacity, inpart determined by the design, and in part determined by the initialcompression.

The inner rubber springs 36 of each cushioning element 22 and 24 bear onrespective spring seats 41 and 42, which bear on the ribs 43 of thepartition 25.

Ribs 44, 45, 46 on the sides of the housing guide the cushioningelements and their followers.

The space between the center sills of the car and the distance betweenthe faces of the draft gear lugs is set Va railway car, saidpockethaving' front and rear'stops and having -a coupler yoke encircling thegear, va housing whose length is appreciably less thanrthe distancebetween said stops mounted in the Vpocket for longitudinalmovement'therein, apartition wall in said housing dividing it into frontand rear chambers, a rear cushioning unit in said rear-chamber havingone end thereof abutting said partition wall, a rear follower abuttingthe opposite end of said cushioning unit, said rear follower and housinghaving cooperating portions yfor limiting relative movement of said rearfollower toward said partition wall and said portions normally being linlongitudinally spaced relation, such thatrsaid rear follower may moveVtoward -said partition wall to cause said rear cushioning unit to Y actin draft, a Afront cushioning unit in said front chamber having one endabutting said partition wall, and a rfront follower abutting theopposite end of said front cushioning unit, said front follower and saidhousing being'movable toward said rear follower to cause both of Vsaidcushioning Vunits Yto Vact in buff, saidrear follower lreacting againstsaid -rear stops and said front follower Yclearing said front stops suchthat 'it reacts against the requirements of the Association of AmericanRailsaid front stops to prevent movement thereof vwhen the gear isacting in draft.

2. The arrangement as set forthY in claim 1 and wherein saidcooperating'portions consist of an internal xed limit stop formed onsaid housing within the rear chamber and a front face of the rearfollower.

El.V In combination with'the arrangement as set forth in claim 1,releasab'le means holding the draft -gear fassembled with t-hecushioning elementsY compressed to bring the draft gear within thelength ofthe draft pocket.V

V4. The arrangement asset forth in claim 1 and wherein thel rearcushioning unit is of lthe rubber springtype and the cooperatingportions are normally spaced Vapart a given distance relativeto thetravel of said rear cushioning unit such that only substantial ydraftloads are re#V Y lieved by said stop.

coupler yoke and said housing normally abuts -against 5, in combinationwith the arrangement as set forth Vin claim 1, shear pins securing thefollowersY to said housing to hold the draft gear assembled with thecushioning elements compressed to bring the draft gear within the lengthof the draft pocket.

References Cited inthe file Yof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

